Another Parent acting stupid in The Villages!!
 

When will young parents learn Golf Carts are not toys! Another parent with a real young child, around 4 to 6 years old driving a golf cart, stupid, stupid, when will they learn that death is around the next turn, where there are 90 year old golf cart drivers here in the villages, that are hearing and sight challenged!

There are also automobile drivers who are challenged in many ways. There are few if any on this forum who think kids driving golf carts is a good idea. I'm included in that but... as hard as it is sometimes, it's none of our business. You can call the police and report it, but beyond that I don't see anything that can be done.

What about safety posters?
I get it. A former student of mine fell out, perfectly sober, hit their head in the worst way and died.
Head trauma killed bank exec in golf cart fall

I heard from the pro I know who works on that course that he was reaching for something on the floor and the driver stopped short for some reason. If I need something on the floor I wait until the cart stops. But really, who would think of that?

I know another golf coach who was the passenger and his leg was dangling and that got cought on a stump, snapped backwards, broke, blacked out and when he woke up he was in the hospital. That was at my HS home course and it didn't make the papers. Keep your feet on the floor.

Call the sheriff's department. A wise man told me once that kindness in trying to tell people the dangers of letting young children not drive golf carts did not work so he decided the only way to get their attention was to reach into their wallet.

Of course we will see post from people bitching that the sheriff's department has more important things to do than harass golf cart drivers.

Well maybe they do, but I would think the sheriffs office would be interested in prevention and public safety. Calling them is about the only thing someone can do if they are of the mind to do something, imo.

To quote Forrest Gump (again)---"Momma always said, stupid is as stupid does"

:popcorn:

Also saw today at Colony Walgreens a cart with three squeezed into the seat and a boy 12 -14 riding in the basket on the back. Complete disregard for a loved one.

Bagboy, Sheriff's department wants you to call. They consider this important. I know many will say there are more important things they should be doing but trust me they do not agree. One death is to many and they have seen a few not to mention serious injuries.

Just saw in the online paper that today's CBS Evening News at 6:30 is running a story on golf cart accidents in TV.

I guess I could have started a new thread about this so more might see it, but it sure fits into this thread, too.

I am going to go set the DVR now.

Take a photo with your cellphone, of the stupid parents letting their children or grandchildren drive the cart, and post it on this website and village news dot com. That might get their attention as how stupid they are! (in addition to calling the police).

I'd like to think the cart owners are uniformed, negligent not criminal. I proposed an awareness campaign not punishment.
Like getting bike helmets on everyone, especially children who probably never think of a head injury.

As I write this, I always bought helmets for my kids but I don't remember how well I enforced it. I never wore one until I was forty, got cought up in gravel and went down. I didn't bump my head but that's what it took. I also bought a ski helmet that year.

I was lucky.

16 golf cart deaths in TV in the last 8 years. Most of which the victim wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

How many of those deaths were caused or were victims when a 4-6 year old driving? Just curious. Also curious how the driver was ID'ed as 4-6 years old, looks are deceiving at times

I often see people driving their golf carts with a knee or even a leg hanging out..no bueno

:popcorn:

Live and let live.

I think you'll be disappointed. The story was not about golf cart accidents. They did mention that 16 people died in golf cart accidents in the past eight years but they didn't talk a lot about accidents.

I wonder how many people died in car accidents in The Villages int he past 16 years? How about motorcycle deaths.

There are 60,000 golf carts and 110,000 in TV. Accidents are going to happen. Drive responsibly and defensively. Always be aware of your surroundings.

16 fatalities in 8 years all Adults. Need I say more?

According to the NTSB, there are an average of 3.2 fatalities in golf carts/ year nationwide. Of the 16 in a 5 year period, 70% were children under 13 or adults over 80, alcohol and lack of seat belts contributed to almost all of them. In contrast, again nationwide, there is an average of 13 fatalities/year from getting hit by a golf ball and 37/year from lightning.

The data just doesn't feel right to me.


In the United States, over the last 8 years 104,000 golf cart-related accidents required emergency room care. [this leads me to think they are somewhat dangerous]

The Villages 16 golf cart deaths in the last 8 years
United States 26 golf cart deaths in the last 8 years [this leads me to think they are safe]

16/26 60% of all golf cart deaths over the last 5 years were in The Villages
[this doesn't seem right either]



13,000/yr [8 yrs - ] golf cart-related accidents requiring emergency room care

I agree. The data I found was sparse and sketchy at best. But that is what the US Highway Dept has posted, for better or worse.

That's a good thing.

Most of the possible solutions won't work.


The kids will go back to school soon. Meanwhile drive very carefully. One more week.


The only people who heed warnings are those who know it is dangerous to begin with.


It is mostly the children with their children of the people who post on here who are arrogant.

Actually, my 4 year old granddaughter was here last week. There must be something wrong with me since I never even considered letting her drive my golf cart.

Adults aren't that smart
 

Today I saw two things that alarmed me. The first was adults in the front and two car Seats strapped to the back. One car seat probably had a two year old in it and the other was front facing as it would be for an infant. Both strapped on the back seat. I was uneasy about seeing this.

Second, was two kids, probably 6-8 years old, standing in the back of the cart where the golf clubs would go, strapped in with the golf bag straps. Both Leaning against the strap outward. If the strap would have come undone....well...the picture I get is horrible. I just don't get why these innocent lives have to be at risk .

Leg extensions ?

Saw what I must consider one of the most stupid acts, yesterday.
Observed one those big white rental golf carts (the ones with the black #'s) with a 10 year old holding an infant while the father drives.

No seat belts-if something happens--the rental company should be held partially liable.

Why??? Did the rental company force dad to rent at gunpoint? Did they tell him to put a 10 year old with an infant in the cart? Was the "rental company" driving? That's like saying GM is responsible for any accident in a Chevy.

All rental contracts should come with a checkoff box labeled " check here if I'm stupid ". If checked, they will not be able to rent. This will avoid any company responsibility.

Unfortunately no experience is required to be a parent and as a result some are not the sharpest pencil in the drawer. [:-)}

We have seen parents with cameras in Yellowstone Park telling their children to get closer to the bear cubs, or the bison so they could be photographed with them.

Perhaps those same parents have finally settled in TV.

What if the customer is TOO stupid to realize they ARE stupid?

That's why I suggested an awareness campaign.

off topic a little--I went on a Wild Mouse ride with my daughter on a rainy night after going on all the fast roller coasters with her 2 older brothers. I swa it as a little kid ride so to make it fun for her I was screaming too, waving my arms around, pretending to be scared. I never noticed that the ride ends with an abrupt stop sending the riders forward. The bar is in my stomach, I didn't brace myself, and it hurts so I start cursing thinking the rain locked up the brakes. My daughter was smart enough to brace herself. I'll leave out what I said but I went on or 30 seconds. Everyone turned away from me out of embarrassment. After I calmed down, we were all laughing at me.

My point is I would have braced myself for the stop if I just watched the ride before I got on. I was not aware of what was going to happen or what could happen. It was a stupid mistake.

Bernie forgive me for quoting Chaney, but you don't know what you don't know. Making a stupid mistake doesn't mean your stupid all the time anymore than winning a lucky bet means your lucky all the time.

Before you rent a cart maybe you need to watch a 30 second safety video. Maybe you show the same video before the movie starts. Maybe it's shown at other Rec Center activities. Maybe posters here and there.

Too bad that kid that got fired for making another corny village expose' didn't think this one up. He might have been promoted.

Actually, Village Golf Carts should think about equipping their rental carts with seat belts. They are not mandatory in carts like in cars but are a good idea.

As for holding infants in your lap while driving or as a passenger, just stupid.

Leave the baby at home - take the dog!

you don't like dogs??????

Good for you! Nothing wrong with being a responsible, sensible grandparent.

Unfortunately, it is more grandparents than parents that do this.

Seems to me that this is what is wrong with many of the youth today. They have not learned the meaning of, "No, you cannot.", and then are unable/unwilling to accept "No" ever.

I used to tell my kids that they had to ask before getting or doing something. One day, my youngest son asked to do something and I told him that he couldn't. His immediate response was, "But I ASKED you". My response to him, "Asking does not equate to an automatic yes, but thank you for asking. It is yes or no at my discretion, not yours."

Both my boys later told me that it was apparent in the military which ones had been brought up with responsibilities and boundaries and which had not. Those who had not had a really tough time trying to adjust. I got a letter from my youngest when he was in boot camp in which he said, "Now I truly understand why Dad always told me that he would not tell me more than once to do/not do something." Both are now retired Navy....the oldest having 26 years and the other 24.:eclipsee_gold_cup::eclipsee_gold_cup: